KD nursery loses full-time funding in council cutback

Nursery pupils at Manchester King David are to have funded childcare time reduced as a result of city council budget cuts.

The 50 children at the state nursery have had full-day places funded. But with supported provision reduced from 25 to 15 hours a week, working parents will get only the half-day funded.

Although Manchester City Council has ring-fenced £7 million for childcare places, full-day funding will go only to children from deprived backgrounds.

In contrast, children at the Broughton Jewish Primary nursery will continue to receive full funding as Salford City Council is maintaining support.

Support for children will be reduced from 25 hours to 15

King David governor Stephen Verber said the cut would not affect the quality of care provided but parents would be asked to make contributions to childcare costs.

"It will affect working mothers, unless they are from deprived backgrounds.

"King David doesn't have a large number of deprived children or a lot of special needs, so we get nothing of the extra funds the council is providing."

Councillor Afzal Khan, Manchester City Council executive member for children's services, said it was trying "to do the best we can for all children. But the government needs to look at their cuts. They are stifling the economy and the middle classes are being squeezed."